Beautiful post. Thank you.

I doubt there is a family on the planet that doesn’t somewhere on the
“tree” have a depressive “branch” filled with un-healthy leaves; the alcoholic uncle, the maiden aunt or the stellar cousin could all be the ones who are “motivated by their depression genes..self-medicating, living in reclusion or striving for all the brass rings.
We know them well, we love them and in some families they may be living sub-rosa all our/their lives but you can bet the farm we all have them…we may even share with them this affliction. But when examined closely all families seem to have its share of depressives. When you think about it, what was it about Cain’s anger that caused him to murder his brother? Or for that matter what was it about Eve that she had to grab the apple? Maybe depression goes that far back. If depression was’t the cause for their behaviour they certainly had to have serious emotional pain as a consequence of their behaviors. Not that all depression is caused by guilt..far from it…but there does seem in most cases a connection. But my point is that it is a very common illness/affliction and one that hopefully has now been recognized as being wide-spread and should be treated openly and without the shame associated with it in times past. So the more forth-coming on the part of those considered “success-stories” the sooner may we find and seek the help for those afflicted. Good for those who are trying to shed the light of compassion on this common but debilitating disease and talk about its complications publically.

Thanks for a great moment in mental illness. It does effect all kinds of walk of life. The weird thing is most that are successful have the ability to hide it better than others, I should know I have experienced it and no one I worked with had a clue until one day my husband called my work place and told them I had been admitted to a hospital. I hope your dad gets help and realizes that depression and all the illnesses of mental health can effect anyone!!!!
God Bless
Leeann

to me a “successful depressive” is any one of us who has depression and is alive.
screw myths!! if a mind believes some thing to be true, it most certainly is to that mind, at that moment.
having given up the need to convince others that my depression is real, my days of hiding in closets, hiding the steak knives from myself, and buying into the opinion of fools that it’s all in my head, I can say that I don’t know where you get the idea that it is a common myth that only unsuccessful people are inflicted with depression…that’s bull!!
it certainly is no comfort to me that CEOs, etc, also suffer from the black hole of the mind’s tricks..

Being bipolar, I’ve had my bouts with the “Black dog.” I have always considered myself to be a “successful person” even with this diagnosis. Like the above post, I’m “successful” just to be alive! But I digress. I worked in the U.S. Senate, climbing my way to my “dream job” since the age of 12. I was hired by a world-renowned law firm after my hospitalization for mania. I was even a Realtor at one point. No, you don’t have to be homeless to be a sufferer of depression. In fact, I think the more successful you are, the more prone you are to an anxiety disorder. I just found out my 83 yr old mother has bipolar! So – I come by it honestly!!

I was the one who left the above post! Sorry for not putting my name on it; I get confused when the Chapta shows up!

i suffer from Eating desorder ( form of depression) for over 17 th years. I truly belive that once i stoped being bulimic my seratonin level couldn reach higher but feeling desperat,empty, sad and anxaety icluding social phobia etc was horable. @ years ago i lost apt. no job and heartbroken..No familly memebers and closest friends were not in NYC any longer( all moved back to europe)
You see noone didn t know my secret and struglle to fight Bulimia and depresion..when i reached out for help and opened up myself to some people i thought they are my friends i was rejected evan worst ocused..Was horable time of my life of lonilenes and not being understood.
I want to tell all people who feel depression in any form that that s true and serious think and to saty away from people they will ocused them and telling that all is in our heads to snap out of it.
Susicidal think is not an answer but to try to seek profesional help and try to get to the group where we all can get suport and feel that we belong
Thank you and all best
Ana

Whenever I share with someone who’s working with a family member with depression that I’m bipolar, they always say, “yeah, but you’re functioning”. I’ve held down a teaching job for 17 years. I haven’t always functioned well, but yes, I’m functioning. That could be the definition of a “successful depressive” – one who’s “functioning”. funny, I always thought words like “functioning” and “sufficient” weren’t enough, but now I’ve learned that good enough sometimes is just good enough.

I’m not for sure when I became depressed, it was always there, as far back as I can remember. It’s like a shadow, present all the time. I have worked on myself all of my life. If… if only I could be this way or that, always trying to fix it, what ever “it” may be on any certain day. I love “ilibertyy” remark, “functioning,” Oh, yes and no one knows. No one knows tht all I want is it to be my turn to go to heaven and not hurt anyone else with my pain or feel the pain anymore. This must be the devils work. God wouldn’t do this to His childern

I am currently in the midst of my 5th or 6th or 7th (I can’t recall) major depressive episode. I am not bipolar but was just diagnosed with serious major depression. First time hospitalized. “Functioning”? Yes, I guess I used to be. Other things become less important when you are fighting for your life. That’s something I don’t think most people believe or understand: that you truly are fighting for your life.

I want to tell all people who feel depression in any form that that s true and serious think and to saty away from people they will ocused them and telling that all is in our heads to snap out of it.